Chapter 9
“She’s coming around.” An unfamiliar male voice spoke from what sounded like a tunnel.
“Em, can you hear me?” Travis’s voice had me trying desperately to open my eyes despite the screaming pain in my head.
My eyelashes fluttered, letting in bursts of light that immediately hurt my head. I let out a soft groan, unable to quell the pain.
“What hurts, baby?” Travis’s voice was full of concern.
“My head.” I groaned as I managed to open my eyes, catching sight of Travis hovering anxiously over me, accompanied by a paramedic and two police officers.
I looked at the unfamiliar men, suddenly anxious and overwhelmed. “Eyes on me, Em,” Travis commanded softly.
My gaze slid to his, and I immediately felt a sense of security calm me. His gorgeous mouth broke into a sad smile. “There’s my girl.” His eyes swept over my face and body before returning to meet my eyes. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“Just my neck.” I winced. “I want to sit up.” I felt so vulnerable sprawled out on the floor.
After a beat, his large hand moved to cup the back of my neck carefully, helping me sit up.
Bile immediately rose in my throat. “I’m going to be sick,” I managed, gesturing frantically for the wastebasket.
Travis grabbed it, sliding it next to me a second before I lost the contents of my stomach into it. He held my hair back as I retched, and I was far too mortified to appreciate how sweet the gesture was.
Just what I’d always dreamed of, throwing up in front of an audience of unfamiliar men and Travis.
“Concussed,” I heard one of them validate grimly. “We need to take her in, check her out.”
“I’m fine,” I protested weakly, my forehead pressed to the rim of the wastebasket.
Travis’s hand stroked my back soothingly. “Babe. You need to be checked out. I’ll be with you the whole time.”
“We need to get her statement, McAllister,” one of the police officers cut in.
“You’ll get it once she’s been checked out,” Travis growled protectively. “You think you’re done?” he asked me gently.
“I think so,” I rasped, sitting up. “Sorry,” I apologized, mortified.
Travis looked at me with a mixture of tenderness and regret. “Don’t be sorry, Em. I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you faster,” he lamented as one the paramedics handed me a glass of water.
I accepted it gratefully, drinking it and hoping like hell that was the only time I’d be tossing my cookies. Or ice cream, as it was.
“You ready to move?” Travis asked quietly, eyeing me.
I nodded, reaching for his hand to help me up. I felt like a newborn fawn on shaking legs. Without delay, Travis scooped me up bridal style.
I let out a little squeak of surprise. “I don’t want to get sick on you,” I protested weakly.
“I have a change of clothes.” He shrugged as though it was no big deal. He carried me down the stairs, the police and paramedics following closely.
“Let’s get her in the bus,” the paramedic said.
“No,” I protested, looking at Travis with wide eyes. “My insurance won’t cover it.”
I’d heard horror stories of how much just a short ride in an ambulance could cost.
“I can pay it, Em,” he assured me.
“Travis, please. That could cost thousands of dollars. This is just a precaution,” I argued. Indecision flashed in his eyes. “I hit my head and my neck hurts, that’s it. Please.”
After a second he sighed, sensing my distress. “All right.” He looked over my head. “I’ll take her in. Thanks for coming so quickly.”
After I signed a waiver that I’d refused care, Travis deposited me gently in the passenger side of his Jeep, and headed for the hospital.
I stared straight ahead, knowing that if I closed my eyes I might get sick again. I could get car sick on a good day.
“Your statement, what are you going to tell them?” he asked after a few moments of silence.
I bit my lip. Lying to the police felt wrong, but I was genuinely terrified of the threat Roy had delivered.
“It was muffled, but I heard who it was, babe,” he informed me.
I looked over at him in surprise. “I don’t understand what he was doing there, I think he was trying to steal something. He reeked of alcohol.” I winced at the acrid memory. “I was surprised he knew who I was, but he did. Did you hear what he said about knowing people on the force?”
He nodded, his jaw clenched. “I want to validate that. He could somehow have connections with LAPD, especially if he was successful at one time as May mentioned. I’ve had my fair share of dealing with crooked bureaucrats. For now, tell them you didn’t know your attacker. We can always claim short-term memory loss due to stress later.”
“You want me to lie,” I stated quietly.
“For now,” he responded. He looked over at me, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel hard. “We haven’t talked much about what I do, but I’m well positioned to take care of this myself. I will take care of this,” he stated firmly. “He’ll never touch you. But in order to ensure that I need to avoid all the red tape.”
“Travis, we just met… I don’t want—”
“I don’t give a shit when we met. You’re mine,” he growled. “And I protect what’s mine.”
Sensing there was no use arguing with him, and frankly relieved to have Travis at my back, I nodded, giving in to his command and to him.
Being his was something I’d daydreamed about since the first moment I laid eyes on him. When my foggy head cleared, I’d begin to digest that reality.
Right now, it felt like a beautiful dream billowing out of a nightmare.
****
“She’s told you what she knows,” Travis growled several hours later. I’d been seen by a doctor who confirmed I indeed had a concussion and swelling around my neck. He’d prescribed an anti-inflammatory and asked that someone watch over me for the next twenty-four hours.
Travis had quickly volunteered to be that person.
“Just a few more questions, McAllister,” Detective Harris responded. Travis really did seem to know the entire Los Angeles Police Department.
“She’s dead on her feet, Harris,” Travis returned impatiently. “We’ll be at my place, you know where to find us,” he added, making it clear the interview was over.
I looked up from my hospital bed in surprise. It was news to me I’d be staying with him.
“Come on, Harris.” His partner, Detective Morales, who had much better bedside manner, cajoled. “She’s had enough. Give her your card, and she’ll call if she thinks of anything. Right?” He turned to me with a raised brow.
“Right,” I agreed readily.
“Fine.” Harris sighed, shutting his notebook, appearing frustrated. He’d been pushing surprisingly hard to get more details out of me, as though he knew I was holding back. He handed me a card. “You call me if you think of anything, anything that might help us catch this guy,” he told me.
Guilt snaked through me as I nodded dutifully and watched him walk out the door.
“Let’s get you to bed, baby,” Travis said as soon as we were alone. “I’m taking you to my place.”
“But Able needs to be let out. I haven’t fed him or Buster yet.” I protested softly, too tired to muster a louder decibel. “Able doesn’t do well staying by himself.”
I thought back to the destroyed couch incident a few months back.
“I’ll have him picked up.” He shrugged easily. “I assume Buster will be okay?”
I snorted. “As long as he’s fed, Buster will be thrilled to have a dog-less house for a night.”
He managed a small smile, helping me up. “You need me to carry you?”
“I’m fine.” I shook my head. My head and neck were already feeling much better after taking the medicine they’d given me after my examination.
He took my hand, his hand warm and strong around mine as he led us down the hallway and out to the parking lot beyond.
I was too tired to make conversation on the drive, and he seemed deep in thought. It felt like mere moments before we were pulling into the garage of a modern house off the beach.
“I’ll have Cade and Danny swing by your place, grab Able and a few of your things,” he explained as he cut the engine.
Despite feeling awkward having them do such a large favor, I sagged with relief. I couldn’t think much beyond sleep.
He came around to my side of the Jeep, helping me out and into the house. With its high ceilings, open concept, and sleek lines, it was beautiful but felt more like a museum than a home.
“It’s... it’s….” I struggled for the right word.
“Cold? I know,” he acknowledged with a sigh. “I know, I need to add some personal touches. I’ll get to it eventually.” He shrugged with a self-deprecating laugh. “Let’s get you upstairs.”
I followed him dutifully up the staircase, the sound of our footsteps reverberating off the walls.
He turned to me when we reached the top of the stairs. “I know this is unconventional,” he began, flashing that dimple that made me melt. “But I’d like you to sleep in my bed. I need to keep an eye on you tonight, and… well, hell, Em, after overhearing that phone call”—he ran a hand over his head— “I want you close. That okay with you?”
Truth be told, I couldn’t imagine being alone after what I’d been though, and there wasn’t anyone I wanted to be with more than Travis.
“Yeah,” I murmured simply.
He nodded and took my hand, leading us to the end of the hall where an expansive master suite lay with a king-size bed and not much else.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked curiously, looking at the bare walls.
“Five years,” he replied.
I couldn’t hide my shock. It looked like he’d barely moved in. The place didn’t look lived in.
“I don’t spend much time here.” He shrugged. “And I guess I haven’t cared about putting my personal touch on the place. I like your place much better.”
I looked at him skeptically. “My place is tiny.”
“Your place feels like a home.”
He had me there. I’d worked hard to put my personal stamp on my place.
“Let’s get you to bed. Cade won’t be here for a while. For now, you can borrow one of my T-shirts, and I have an extra toothbrush.”
I followed him into the huge master bath, eyeing the bathtub warily. I hoped like hell something I’d always loved wouldn’t be tarnished after tonight.
Travis caught on to my train of thought immediately. He stooped low, tipping my chin up so we were eye to eye. “When you’re ready, I want you to take a long hot soak in that tub and know that I’m right on the other side of the door watching over you. Or,” he continued with a playful glint in his eye, “maybe I’ll be in there with you.”
I blushed and looked down at my feet, nodding. I liked that idea a hell of a lot, but it was more than I could digest at the moment.
He left me alone for a few moments as I changed and brushed my teeth. I tried in vain to ignore my reflection, not wanting to see the bruising at my neck.
When I emerged, Travis was shirtless, propped up in bed with his head against the headboard. My exhausted self perked up several notches at seeing his glorious muscles on display.
His dark gaze swept over my frame, remaining on my bare legs in his T-shirt that came to my upper thigh. For a moment, the energy in the room crackled as we stared at each other—lust so tangible in the air I could almost taste it.
Finally, he cleared his throat, breaking the spell. “Let’s get some sleep. Cade will text when he’s here, but you can sleep through.”
“Thanks,” I replied gratefully, crawling onto soft sheets that smelled like Travis.
The bed was so big there was plenty of room for us not to touch, but he immediately pulled me close in a gesture that felt both thrilling and innately comfortable—as though we’d always done this.
He kissed the top of my head. “Sleep, baby. I’ve got you.”
I let my lids flutter in response, trusting him to take care of me.
It was a first for me—and I knew deep down it would be the first of many when it came to him.